Election 2006: How the Members of Congress Under Investigation Fared

-- by Tim Malacarne

Entering the November 2006 midterm elections, Congresspedia had confirmed that fifteen sitting members of Congress were under investigation for possible wrongdoing by either congressional ethics committees or law enforcement agencies. Two of them, Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) opted to retire at the end of their terms and did not seek reelection. Four were defeated and eight were reelected, either for their congressional seat or another office. One, Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.), still has a runoff before his fate is decided. Here's the breakdown:

• Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), who is under investigation for his involvement in the Jack Abramoff corruption scandal, was defeated in a close race by Democrat Jon Tester.
• Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J) is under investigation by the U.S. attorney's office in Newark for his relationship with a non-profit group that rented real estate from him. He defeated Republican challenger Tom Kean, Jr. to win a full Senate term.
• Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-Calif.) is being investigated by the Justice Department's Wyoming office for possibly accessing restricted law enforcement data and using it in an ad against an election opponent. He was defeated in his bid for Colorado's governorship.
• Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.), who is under investigation by the Justice Department as part of the Jack Abramoff probe, won reelection.
• Rep. Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.) is currently under investigation by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for allegedly assaulting a Las Vegas cocktail waitress. He won his race to become Nevada's governor.
• Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) is under investigation by the Justice Department for enlisting wealthy donors to pressure future House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) into reappointing her as the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. She was reelected.
• Rep. Katherine Harris (R-Fla.) is under investigation by both the Justice Department and Defense Department for her relationship with Mitchell Wade, the former head of a defense company who pleaded guilty to a series of criminal bribery offenses in February 2006. Harris lost her challenge to Democrat Bill Nelson for his Senate seat.
• Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for his handling of the Mark Foley page scandal. He won reelection.
• Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) is under investigation by the Justice Department for soliciting and receiving bribes. He was the top vote getter in the race for his House seat in the November 7 election but failed to garner 50 percent of the vote. Under Louisiana's electoral system he face a December runoff against fellow Democrat Karen Carter.
• Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif) is currently under investigation for his use of the "earmarking" process to benefit a lobbyist and friend. He won reelection.
• Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-W.V.) is under investigation for using earmarks to direct contracts to non-profit organizations headed by both campaign contributors and business partners. He won reelection.
• Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) is being investigated for both his involvement in a federal land swap deal and introducing legislation to benefit a corporation that is both his largest campaign contributor and the employer of his father. He won reelection.
• Rep. Curt Weldon is under investigation by the Justice Department for trading his political influence for lobbying and consulting contracts for his daughter, Karen Weldon. He was defeated in his bid for reelection by Democrat Joe Sestak.

To the best of our knowledge, all of these investigations are ongoing. That a member of Congress retired or lost a bid for reelection does not mean that any probes into his or her actions while a member of the legislature would be discontinued. To stay up to date with the latest developments regarding these inquiries, check out Congresspedia's page on Members of Congress under investigation.